


In Another Life

by gilswaifu (Resident_of_Fiction)



Series: Fate Week 2021 [2]
Category: Fate/Grand Order
Genre: Gen, fanservant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:27:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28704414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Resident_of_Fiction/pseuds/gilswaifu
Summary: Ritsuka tries to figure out Gilgamesh Alter.(Day 2: Identity)
Series: Fate Week 2021 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2101626
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14
Collections: Fate Week 2021 Fic Collection





	In Another Life

This new Gilgamesh… he was… different, if that word could even be used here. It had been a few weeks since Ritsuka had summoned him, yet she wasn’t any closer to figuring him out. Kid Gil may have been much nicer than his adult selves, yet there was still a side of him that was arrogant, powerful, and self-serving. The same could not be said for the new Ruler.

His appearance was the most obvious change; his ears were pointed, and he had small horns above his eyebrows and on the top of his head. He had no armor, and no crown, but instead light, flowing robes and a tunic of silver and red. 

While the other Gilgameshes always made sure to make themselves known wherever they were, this one barely seemed to say a thing. He did not seem interested in any activities, even to assert his superiority or laugh at another’s misfortune. In fact, he seemed to not even understand the concept of joy or entertainment at all.

Well, Da Vinci had called him an Alter.

Although Ruler Gilgamesh almost never left his room, any time he did was sure to cause quite a stir. The fact alone that he was a Gilgamesh who knew how to stop talking drew enough attention as is, but his occasional interactions with others made him a big topic of gossip among the Servants and staff. 

A few times Enkidu had given him a curious glance, but he walked right past them without any sort of acknowledgement. And even stranger, one Wednesday he happened to nearly run into Ishtar as she was exiting her room. She huffed and told him off. And he… 

Bowed his head to her in apology. 

Ishtar took a step back with a look of disgust on her face, and every other person, Servant or otherwise, stopped what they were doing and stared, mouths agape. 

But Gilgamesh Alter just went along the way he was going, without a care.

“I’m not quite sure what his past is,” Enkidu said when Ritsuka asked them. Their eyes looked off in the distance with a mix of deep thought and melancholy. “However… I do have a guess. He must be from an alternate history.” They didn’t elaborate further.

And then, nearly a month after the summoning, came the conversation which told Ritsuka all she needed to know. 

“So… Gilgamesh Alter?” She felt a bit awkward referring to him in such a way. Though the title did seem to fit him best, this was not a Servant who had been corrupted by the Grail. It seemed hard to imagine anyone would like being referred to as a byproduct of another version of themself, especially someone like Gilgamesh. 

He looked down at her. “What is it you want, mongrel?”

Ritsuka gave a sigh of relief at the familiar insult. He couldn’t be _that_ different if he still referred to her in such a way. “I’m going to go hunting for materials today,” she said. “I was wondering if you wanted to come. Enkidu will be there.” Hopefully bringing them up directly like this wouldn’t backfire and land a sword in her chest.

His expression didn’t change. “Do you expect me to know who that is, human?”

Ritsuka felt her body grow cold. “I...I uh…” She swallowed, then thought of the other Gilgameshes, and how sad Enkidu looked. No, she couldn’t be scared. She needed to know. “They’re your friend. Your only friend. Or at least… to your other selves…”

At the very least, she wasn’t immediately skewered by weapons. 

“My other selves… from this world…” This was the first time she’d seen him look genuinely interested in something. “How did they meet?”

She explained to him about how Enkidu was a weapon sent by the gods to force Gilgamesh’s loyalty back to them, and how Enkidu instead abandoned the gods as well and became Gilgamesh’s friend.

He narrowed his eyes. “Failed attempts.”

“What?”

Gilgamesh Alter sighed in annoyance. “My others failed in our assigned duty. Or might I say they abandoned it. I should have known from the fact they remain part human.” He seemed genuinely disgusted. Although the three Gilgameshes Ritsuka knew were a hot mess of both extreme arrogance and self-loathing, this seemed to be on a whole other level.

Still, with his words, she understood.

* * *

_Servant: Ruler_

_True Name: Gilgamesh (Alter)_

_Gilgamesh was born between King Lugalbanda and the goddess Ninsun, designed by the gods to bind heaven and earth, and prevent humanity from straying too far in their own direction. However, he did not follow his predetermined path, instead choosing humanity over gods, effectively ending heaven’s reign._

_This Gilgamesh did no such thing. He was loyal to the end, crushing human development under his heel, doing the gods’ bidding, and eventually ascending to godhood himself, like his father and half-brother before him._

_Because he never strayed, the gods had no reason to send a weapon to bind him. Thus, this Gilgamesh never met Enkidu._

* * *

“Oh,” Ritsuka said. “I guess that explains how you still know Ishtar then.”

“Hm?” He looked at her strangely. “Of course. As per my preordained duty, I made her my wife.”

“ ** _YOU WHA—_** ”


End file.
